Continuum
by Lynn Saunders
Summary: Time doesn't matter.


Title: Continuum  
Author: Lynn Saunders  
Rating: NC-17  
Classification: MSR, RST, Theef Pre-Ep/Post-Ep/Missing   
Scene, Challenge Fic  
Spoilers: seasons six and seven, specifically The Rain King,  
Field Trip, Millennium, and Theef  
Summary: The time doesn't matter.  
Feedback: gratefully received and much appreciated   
at lynnsaundersfanfic@hotmail.com  
Website: http://www.mindspring.com/~lynnsaunders  
Distribution: Archive freely, just let me know where so   
I can visit.  
Date Completed: 11.19.03  
  
Notes:  
This story is a response to a Theef Post-Ep challenge   
(it's actually Pre & Post-Ep g) issued by our dear Sallie.   
It evolved into a Birthday Challenge at Beyond the Sea   
for the list's one year anniversary. Elements are   
listed at the end of the story.  
  
Extra Special Thanks:  
To Sallie for above and beyond beta (she missed the   
beginning of 24 to proofread my fic) and an   
enthusiastic thumbs-up. Also, to the fabulous Carol,   
whose speedy reads I couldn't live without.  
You ladies are awesome!  
  
Dedication: To all of my beloved listies at BTS.   
Happy Birthday to us! I hope there are many more   
to come.  
  
Disclaimer: The characters of Mulder and Scully are the   
property of Chris Carter and 1013. A break from work is   
the only thing I am gaining from writing fan fiction.  
The song "I'll Back You Up" is the property of Dave   
Matthew's Band and is used without permission, but with   
much admiration and respect on my part.  
  
- - - - - -  
  
Continuum  
by Lynn Saunders  
  
He sits slouched among sofa cushions littered with file  
folders, his glasses slightly askew. Across the room,   
the television flickers silently. Scully is cross-legged  
beside him, chewing on a pen. She never used to do that,   
put things in her mouth. He wonders if she picked up his   
oral fixation during their fungus-induced hallucinogenic  
mind link.  
  
He makes a valiant effort not to stare. It's impossible.  
  
When did Scully become such a hot little package? Lately,   
everything about her screams 'sexpot'. The button-front  
shirts she wears are barely legal, often revealing more   
than a glimpse of cleavage, allowing him a monumental   
discovery: Scully wears black, lacy bras almost daily.  
She flirts openly with attractive men, strangers most of   
them, like the guy at the Starbucks counter. She clomps  
gracefully through the FBI halls in her 3-inch fuck-me  
heels and perfectly tailored suits, breaking the hearts   
of all the young interns and receiving winks from the   
roving eyes of agents who might be able to give her the   
"normal" life she thinks she wants, but who could never   
love her the way he does. His soul burns with it, like   
fireworks exploding in his chest, bright and hot. Deadly.   
He now realizes the agony of loving a friend, the   
possible loss and possible gain. Dangerous happiness,   
the ultimate conflict. Is it worth the risk?  
  
So, he stares. If she feels his eyes on her -- and he   
suspects she does -- she will not acknowledge it. He   
kissed her on New Year's Eve, and she has not mentioned   
it. She never will, he thinks, because nothing ever   
changes. In a way, he is relieved. Perhaps they have   
been friends far too long to make any other type of   
relationship work. What if timing is everything, after   
all? He thinks he missed his chance a while ago. An   
intimate relationship is an extreme possibility that   
Scully might not be open to. It is his most secret fear.   
  
But things do change. The world is always in motion,   
especially for them. Change, it has been said, is the   
only constant.   
  
She looks up at him. Her expression is stern, but in   
her eyes he sees amusement, curiosity, and a hint of   
something darker that makes the fine hairs at the   
base of his neck stand on end.  
  
"It isn't polite to stare, Mulder."  
  
"I can't help it," he says.   
  
He holds her gaze for a moment, then rises, gathering   
his scattered files. Never in a million years does he   
expect her to kiss him. It just isn't her style. Yet,   
she places a hand on his shoulder, stopping him as   
he turns to leave.  
  
Sky blue eyes blink at him, small fingers slide to the   
back of his neck, and he is lost forever. Her moist lips   
brush his, then move deeper. He slips his arms around   
her, pulling her to him, trying to remain upright. Her   
breasts are like heaven, pressed against his chest.   
  
It is perfect, slow and good, longer than the first one.  
When their lips part, he continues to hold her, and   
she runs her fingers over his face, immensely pleased  
with herself.  
  
"Goodnight," she whispers, afraid to break the spell.   
  
On the way home, his cell phone chirps from his coat   
pocket.  
  
"I surprised you," she says. He can hear her smile.  
  
"You keep me guessing."  
  
- - - - - -   
  
A year ago, she received a package.   
  
It was a quarter to six, and she had just run out of steam.   
She sighed, pushing around the pile of papers on Mulder's  
desk, trying to put them in some semblance of order   
before leaving for the day. He was miles away in Utah,   
loaned out to VIACAP like a mechanic's rusty car. Their   
loaner was a loner. This made her smile sadly. She   
tried to deny it, but she missed him terribly.  
  
She stood, preparing to leave, just as a sandy-haired   
man knocked nervously on the office door frame. He   
smiled, and she recognized him from one Bureau hall   
or another, but was unable recall his name. He couldn't   
have been more than a few years younger than she, yet the   
spring in his step made him seem like a boy. She   
felt ancient just looking at him.   
  
"Hi Agent Scully. I, um... this came for you," he   
stammered, extending a manila envelope." I thought   
you might still be here, so I decided to make sure   
it got down here in one piece." He looked positively   
bashful.   
  
She thanked him, waiting until he was safely on his   
way to the FBI's higher realms before she examined   
the envelope. The return address indicated the Hardt   
residence in Kroner, KA. Eyebrows furrowing, she   
ripped open the seal. The package contained  
a brief letter and two pictures. The first image was a   
wrinkled newborn bundled in a tiny hospital blanket   
and cap. In the second, she and Mulder sat very   
near each other on a bench, highlighted by a cardboard   
rainbow. They didn't appear to notice the camera,   
engrossed as they were in conversation. Her eyebrow   
was raised ever so slightly, but she was smiling up at   
him. He was leaning into her personal space, as always,   
a mischievous gleam in his eyes. They were flirting   
shamelessly. Looking at it made something inside   
her spark and flare.  
  
She considered tacking the picture to the office   
bulletin board, but decided against it. She wanted   
the image, the undeniable proof of the indescribable   
something between them, framed and displayed   
privately, not strewn amongst the UFOs and mutants   
that littered the basement walls.  
  
When he found the simple silver frame tucked into   
the shelf above his aquarium, he was surprised, to say   
the least. The problem was, neither of them ever managed   
to say even that much. The small gift was never mentioned,   
but it migrated to Mulder's new bedside table and   
continues to travel to each city they visit in his   
carry-on bag. He too is taken with it, with the way   
they appear to others.  
  
He stares at it as he lies awake, alone in his   
bed in the early morning light. After their first   
kiss, he didn't want to pressure her. His hesitancy   
allowed any possible discussion of their relationship   
to be pushed aside by case files. After Scully's run-in   
with Phaster, she needed some space. Since then,   
there just hasn't been a good time to bring it up.   
Now, another opportunity presents itself. But is she   
ready to hear what he has to say? Has fate   
presented him with a chance, or is he chancing   
fate? There is only one way to find out.  
  
He showers and dresses, fully prepared to drive   
to Scully's apartment, declare his love for her,   
call in sick, and spend the day licking every   
inch of her body if she'll allow it. He wonders   
if she keeps whipped cream stocked in her kitchen.   
Or chocolate. Chocolate would be good.  
  
His wandering thoughts are interrupted by   
the ringing phone. According to Skinner, they will   
be on a flight to California in two hours. This is   
in serious conflict with Mulder's itinerary for the   
day. Damn.  
  
He isn't defeated, though. He refuses to let   
the subject go.  
  
In California, they get the bad guy. Mulder flirts   
with Scully, and Scully flirts right back. She goes   
blind for a few minutes, and Mulder saves her. She   
surprises the hell out of him, believing in magic.   
  
She is ready, he thinks, after all. Now, it's   
just a matter of time.  
  
- - - - - -  
  
"Werewolves, Mulder?"  
  
"Werewolves, Scully."  
  
She leans against his desk, quirking an eyebrow as he   
reclines in his chair. Her leg brushes against his.   
Biting into her tuna salad sandwich, she tries not   
to smile up at him. He takes the sandwich away from   
her without asking, consuming half of it in one gulp,   
and passes her a folded newspaper -- a tabloid, actually.   
  
"Georgia Town Under Attack!" it proclaims in   
disturbingly bright blue letters. A snarling beast   
stares at her from beneath the headline.  
  
"What, no slide show?"  
  
He smiles at her around a mouthful of stolen lunch.   
  
"Hey Scully, did you know that Georgia's 'peach state'   
symbol looks like a big ass? It's on practically   
half of the road signs."  
  
She glances at her watch. To the untrained eye, she   
would appear unamused. "When do we leave?"  
  
Mulder rises and begins rummaging around in his desk.   
She watches him, appreciating the way the muscles in   
his forearms ripple as he rearranges the paperclip   
supply. Earlier, he caught her staring as he rolled up   
his sleeves, admiring the crisp blue of his shirt against   
his golden skin. She was so turned on that she had to   
excuse herself to cool down. Her body's response to   
him is downright embarrassing. These days, she can't   
decide whether she wants to kick his ass or jump it.   
Either event, she muses, would require tackling.   
  
He doesn't answer, continuing his hunt through the   
right desk drawer. He knows the contents of that   
desk like the back of his hand. Why is he fumbling   
around? His fidgeting is making her nervous.  
  
"Mulder... when is the flight?"  
  
He looks at her strangely. "We just got back from   
California," he says, as if that explains everything.   
  
"And?"  
  
"And I thought we'd take the weekend off, save this   
until Monday." He chuckles at her startled expression.   
"I'll always keep you guessing."  
  
He has made at least thirty references to their   
goodnight kiss in the past three days. He seems hell-  
bent on reminding her every chance he gets. She   
can't believe that it happened, that she was so   
forward with him. She is slightly embarrassed, but   
realizes that is absurd. She's known the man for   
seven years and he's head-over-heels in love with   
her. It's about damn time something happened   
between them, honestly.  
  
"Have dinner with me, Scully."  
  
His voice is gravelly, rough like sandpaper.   
Her belly tingles in response, burning with   
anticipation. Resistance is futile.  
  
- - - - - -  
  
He knocks on her door at a quarter after seven,   
wearing his leather jacket and, God help   
her, the wire-rims she has absolutely no defense   
against. He hasn't worn his glasses in ages,   
and she welcomes their reappearance. He is wearing   
them just for her.   
  
He smells delicious and looks twice as   
tasty. When he smiles and pulls her close for a hug,   
she can't help burying her face in his   
neck. She revels in the energy he radiates. No   
feeling on Earth compares to holding someone you   
love.   
  
Their eyes meet and lock together. Her body begs   
to be kissed, her lips burning. He accepts the   
silent invitation, pressing his lips to hers.   
Thank God for unspoken communication.  
  
Her fingers thread through his hair as he kisses   
her, making him shiver. On some level, he is   
aware that the door is wide open and they are   
only half inside her apartment, but he is beyond   
caring. He samples the soft skin of her neck   
before taking her face in his hands and looking   
into her eyes.   
  
"God, Mulder."   
  
"I know," he says, and they both laugh from the   
sheer exhilaration of holding each other, of having   
someone to hold on to.  
  
- - - - - -  
  
The restaurant is dark and warm and smells of olive   
oil and robust red wine. He pulls her close as they   
wait in the doorway, long arms wrapping around her   
from behind. She turns her head, pressing an ear   
to his heart. The rhythm is hypnotic.  
  
His chin comes to rest on her shoulder, and she   
can feel his breath, hot against her neck. He   
whispers Italian folk tales in her ear. It is   
fitting that Mulder's sweet nothings involve   
supernatural phenomena.  
  
They sit at a tiny table in the corner, watching   
each other in the candlelight. It is surreal,   
seeing each other in this context. Under the   
table, he holds her hand in both of his, running   
his thumb in soothing circles on the delicate   
skin of her wrist to make sure she's actually   
there, that this is actually happening.  
  
After dinner, they stroll side by side down the   
narrow sidewalk, pretending not to lean into each   
other. He carries the small bag of left-overs in   
his right hand so he can touch her with his left.   
Their fingers twine together inside his jacket   
pocket. He feels about seventeen, walking his best   
girl home from a date.  
  
On the corner, an old man performs card tricks for   
spare change. "Pick a card," he says, and Scully   
peeks at one and returns it. The man shuffles, then   
reshuffles the deck, selecting a card and passing   
it to Mulder.   
  
"She picks true," the stranger says.   
  
Mulder smiles and nods. The Queen of Hearts, indeed.  
  
They cross the street to her apartment building.   
He kisses her thoroughly as they wait for the   
elevator and groans as her plump tongue slips out   
to caress his lower lip. It takes them nearly   
fifteen minutes to reach her door and get safely   
inside.   
  
She is quite intoxicated, though she's had nothing   
to drink. She feels free, floating, and it is   
wonderful. Mulder tastes like the basil and sun-  
dried tomatoes from his pasta. His hands are large   
and warm and everywhere. He might consume her, but   
she is not concerned. She wants this, wants him,   
has wanted him for a long while.   
  
Their lips part and he rests his head on her shoulder.   
They are nose-to-nose, panting open-mouthed,   
pheromones flooding their brains, endorphins rushing   
through their veins.   
  
"It's magic, can you feel it?" His eyes sparkle in   
the low light.  
  
God, she can feel it. She wants to feel this way   
forever, the excitement of Christmas morning and   
the exhilaration of flying, the electricity that   
arcs between them. "Yes."   
  
"Keep me guessing, Scully." He presses a kiss to   
her forehead. "Don't ever stop."  
  
She feels bold, sensual, and her gaze turns   
predatory. She wants all of him. He isn't about   
to refuse.  
  
"I can't stop," she confesses. "I don't want to."  
  
She reaches past him, locking the door. The latch   
clicks into place easily. She never knew it would be   
this easy. Making love with Mulder will be as natural   
as breathing.  
  
His large hands slide over her hips, making them   
tingle. The heat from his fingers seeps through her   
clothes and into her skin, marking her. Every   
molecule in her body surges toward him.   
  
His expression is curious, distant, and she   
realizes he is listening to something. She closes   
her eyes, trying to hear over the beating of her   
own heart, the ringing in her ears. Then she smiles.   
She hears it too. Mellow chords drift from her   
neighbor's guitar. The kid has been practicing a   
lot lately.  
  
Mulder's hands stroke up her back to cup her shoulder   
blades, pulling her into an easy rhythm only half in   
time with the music, barely moving.  
  
The musician's words filter through the wall.  
  
I remember thinking,   
I'll go on forever only knowing   
I'll see you again.  
But I know,  
the touch of you is so hard to remember.   
But like that touch I know no other.  
  
Mulder runs his hands from her shoulders to her   
palms, making her shiver. He links his fingers with   
hers, moving her hand up to rest on his chest,   
kissing each fingertip.  
  
The disembodied music plays on, enchanting her.  
  
And for sure, we have danced   
in the risk of each other.  
  
Mulder finishes the stanza, singing softly to her.   
"Would you like to dance around the world with me?"  
  
His gaze is an incendiary device. She can't remember   
the last time anyone looked at her the way he's looking   
at her now, or, for that matter, whether anyone   
ever has. Nerve endings spark wherever his eyes   
land. It is the single most erotic thing she has   
ever experienced.   
  
Electric fingers slide under her sweater to caress   
the small of her back. The current moves higher,   
white hot energy zinging along her spine. The pulses   
coax her to let go. She is free.  
  
She wants to feel his skin on hers with a desperation   
that would frighten her if she weren't so far gone.   
She tugs at his jacket until it drops to the floor.   
  
He pushes her back against the door, harder than he   
means to, but doesn't apologize when he sees the way   
her eyes flame for him. His teeth sink into the   
sensitive skin of her neck, leaving a mark that will   
take a week to disappear. Suddenly, their clothes   
are obstacles to be disposed of with deadly force.   
  
Soon, he has her pinned against the door, panting into   
her arm. He is licking the back of her right knee, his   
hands sliding up her thighs. Her peaked nipples brush   
against the door's smooth white surface with every   
hot kiss of his mouth. She cries out at the first   
touch of his tongue to her center. She is coming apart   
inside. She slides her hand down her belly to feel   
him licking her, his tongue tickling her fingers.   
  
Later, she will try to arrange the images that flood   
her senses into some order, chronological or otherwise.   
It is impossible. She will remember only flashes, like   
bits of broken mirror glinting in the sun, razor   
sharp and completely disorganized.   
  
Their lovemaking is fiery. Hot and turbulent, like   
wind from a tropical storm. Wonderful.  
  
They do not make it to the bed, or even to the couch.   
She wraps her legs around him as he pushes into her,   
four feet from the front door.   
  
Beads of sweat trickle from Mulder's forehead down   
to his collarbone. She bites him there, moaning at   
the taste of sweat and sex.  
  
His five o'clock shadow is like sandpaper against her   
chin, but she welcomes his kisses. They hurt in a good   
way.  
  
He growls as she draws her nails down his slick back,   
leaving five reddened trails. He catches her hand and   
pushes it down between them. Her practiced fingers   
dance along her overstimulated clitoris once, twice,   
and she shatters around him.   
  
His hair sticks out in random patterns. His golden   
skin glows. He is beautiful. He whispers her name   
as he comes, warming her from the inside out.  
  
The lights flicker off for a moment as they collapse   
against each other, breathing raggedly.  
  
"Do you think we blew a fuse?"   
  
She laughs and presses a kiss to his sweaty forehead.   
  
- - - - - -  
  
They take a bubble bath in celebration.   
  
Scully reclines against her partner as they sip from   
the same bottle of Shiner Bock. She slides the sole of   
her foot up his leg. He licks a drop of water from   
the back of her neck. In front of them, the tap drips   
rhythmically, sending tiny ripples out to tickle them.  
  
"What time is it?" she asks.   
  
He cranes his neck to see into her bedroom.   
  
"I don't know, the only clock I see is flashing   
eleven forty-four. We blew a fuse, remember?"   
  
She giggles. "Oh, I definitely remember."  
  
He pauses for a moment, running his finger along   
her fine collarbone. "Does it matter?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"The time."  
  
She thinks about it, then turns to look at him. "No...   
no, it doesn't matter."  
  
He is pleased by her answer. She settles back   
against him, smiling.  
  
The time doesn't matter, he thinks as they drift   
in a sea of their own making. For this perfect moment,   
time does not exist.  
  
- - - - - -  
  
lynnsaundersfanfic@hotmail.com  
  
Theef Post-EP / BTS Birthday Challenge Elements:  
- M/S first-time sex (bonus for slow undressing scene):   
Check, though they didn't undress slowly-- does a slow   
dancing scene count?  
- the phrase "You do keep me guessing," (Mulder) or   
"I'll always keep you guessing," (Scully): Triple check.  
- sharing a meal/something edible: Tuna Salad Sandwich  
- a phone call from Skinner or Kersh: Skinner informs   
Mulder about the case in California  
- TV (broken, working, showing a movie or not): The   
television is flickering, but muted, in the first   
scene.  
- a watch or clock that has stopped working: the   
digital clock is flashing because of the power surge  
- lacy underwear (Scully only): she wears lacy black   
bras almost every day  
- magic: the magic trick, among other things  
- a celebration, or something celebratory: the post-  
coital bath  
  
Ha, I got them all! It was a blast. 


End file.
